Air filters are in widespread use on the engines of various machines, such as lawn mowers, trucks, and heavy equipment such as tractors, bulldozers, track hoes, etc. These air filters are used to remove dust, dirt, and other particulates from the engine intake air. This reduces the amount of abrasive particulate material that enters the engine, which may otherwise cause mechanical wear and oil contamination.
As one skilled in the art will recognize, air filters for combustion engines are typically hollow, cylindrically shaped, frames containing a porous paper, foam, or cotton fabric disposed thereon. The engine draws combustion air from the external environment through the air filter, which removes particulates and contaminants so that only clean air is left for the combustion process. However, as the particulates build up on the surface of the air filter, filter performance may decline. For example, excess particulate matter may clog the air filter, thereby decreasing the intake of fresh air for the combustion process and restricting engine performance. In addition, excess particulate matter may deform the filter, cause rapid deterioration, or result in punctures in the filter, which may result in harmful particulate matter reaching the engine.
Air filters vary in size and expense, and although these filters are usually not intended to be reused, filter replacement cost can be high, especially on larger, industrial-size vehicles and equipment. Filter replacement may result in significant costs over the life of a machine. It is therefore desirable to reduce this cost by providing a non-invasive pneumatic filter cleaning apparatus for cleaning dirty filters so that they may be reused.